DECEMBER 10, 1897.] 
masters (maitres), who are chosen from the 
ordinary members by the Council after an 
examination of their writings ; and ordi- 
dinary members (membres adhérents), of 
which the number is unlimited. Modest 
dues entitle the members to the organ of 
the Association, L’ Hyperchimie, a monthly 
review of alchemy and hermetism founded 
in 1896. 
The Councillors of the Alehemical Asso- 
ciation have combined with the active 
members of the other Societies named to 
establish a Université Libre des Hautes Etudes. 
At present this includes three Faculties : 
I. Faculté des Sciences Hermétiques, of 
which the Association Alchimique forms a 
section. The director of this Faculty is Dr. 
G. Encausse, and the course of instruction 
embraces the study of the Yarot, alchemical 
philosophy and practice, occultism, mysti- 
cism, Hebrew, etc. ; the curriculum leading 
to the ‘ baccalauréat-en-Kabbale’ is under 
the supervision of the Group of Esoteric 
Students, while candidates for the degrees of 
master and doctor are under the direction 
of the Martinist Order. 
II, Faculté des Sciences Magnétiques, 
represented by the Ecole de Magnétisme de 
Paris, and under the direction of M. Dur- 
ville; it has branches at Lyons, Bordeaux 
and other cities. 
III. Faculté Spirite, comprising several 
sections of Spiritism. 
Each Faculty preserves complete inde- 
pendence, being ‘united only by moral 
bonds destined to hasten expansion of the 
rational spiritualistic movement.’ 
The nature of the instruction given at 
this University will appear in the review 
of the philosophy of its promoters. 
The leading spirits in these secret socie- 
ties and in this University are as follows: 
F. Jollivet-Castelot, Secretary-General of 
the Alchemical Association, special delegate 
to the Supreme Council of the Martinists, 
editor of L’Hyperchimie, and author of 
SCIENCE. 
857 
“Comment on devient Alchimiste,’ ‘ L’Hy- 
lozoisme’ and other alchemic treatises ; Dr. 
M. H. E. Lalande, whose pen-name is Mare 
Haven; F. Ch. Barlet, author of ‘ Essai sur 
Evolution de l’Idée;’ Dr. G. Encausse, 
who generally conceals his identity under 
the signature Papus, is President of the 
Esoteric Group,* President of the Supreme 
Council of the Martinists and the author of 
sixteen treatises on hermetism and magic, 
among which may be named ‘ Traité élé- 
mentaire de Magie Pratique.’ Papus is also 
editor of JL’Initiation, a journal devoted 
to theosophy, magic and occultism, and of 
Le Voile d’Isis a weekly review of spir- 
itualism. Stanislas de Guaita is best known 
as the author of ‘Le Temple de Satan,’ 
“ Clef de la Magie Noire,’ and ‘ Le Probleme 
du Mal,’ works dealing with sorcery, the 
astral light in man and other mysteries. 
Marius Decrespe’s essay on ‘ Les Microbes 
de |’Astral,’ Paul Sédir’s ‘ Les Incantations’ 
and Albert de Rocha’s ‘ Exteriorisation de 
la Motricité ’ are works which indicate the 
mental attitude of those engaged in the re- 
vival of alchemy and hermetism. A bibli- 
ography of this class of works is here out 
of place; a single trade catalogue enumer- 
ates one hundred and twenty titles, chiefly 
of recent date. 
One of the oldest workers in the Alchem- 
ical Association is the ‘ Master’ Théodore 
Tiffereau ; in 1854-55 he sent to the French 
Academy of Sciences six memoirs in which 
he claimed to have discovered a method of 
converting silver into gold. ‘Tiffereau had 
made his experiments in Mexico at great 
expense, supporting himself meanwhile by 
taking daguerreotypes. His process was re- 
peated at the Mint in Paris before the as- 
*The Groupe Indépendant d’Etudes Esotériques 
has 1,600 members, 104 branches and correspondents. 
It embraces members of the following societies : Or- 
dre Martiniste, Ordre Kabbalistique de la Rose- 
Croix, Belise Gnostique, Société Alchimique de 
France. Membership is free. 
